Part 18 – Inside the Orphanage

The air inside the orphanage was thick with dust, as if it had been abandoned for years. The heavy scent of decay lingered in the corners, the walls stained and peeling. It felt as though time had forgotten this place. The floorboards creaked beneath their feet as they stepped inside, and the door slammed shut behind them with an unsettling echo.

Maya shuddered, her hand instinctively reaching out for Aditya's.

"Are you sure about this?" Arjun's voice broke through the heavy silence, his face taut with concern. His eyes scanned the dark, desolate hallway.

Maya glanced around, her heart pounding, still haunted by the vision she had just experienced. "I don't know... but we have to keep going."

Aditya stepped forward, his jaw set with determination. "We don't have much time. The answers are here."

They moved cautiously down the long hallway, the walls lined with old, faded portraits of children and smiling faces. But there was something unsettling about them. The eyes—empty, hollow.

At the end of the hall, they found a door slightly ajar. The faint sounds of whispers came from within. Maya's heart raced as they pushed the door open, and their gaze was met by a scene so chilling, it felt like a nightmare.

The room was a large, dimly lit space, scattered with broken furniture and abandoned toys. But the most disturbing part were the children.

There were at least a dozen of them, standing motionless. Their faces were pale, their eyes vacant, staring at nothing.

Some were sitting on the floor, rocking back and forth, while others stood against the walls, silent and still. It was as if they were waiting. Waiting for something. Or someone.

Maya's breath hitched as she stepped forward, her eyes scanning the room. One of the children, a little girl with tangled hair, turned to look at her.

"You shouldn't be here."

Her voice was barely above a whisper, yet it cut through the air like a blade. Maya froze. The words seemed so familiar—just like the ones in her vision.

"Who are you?" Maya asked, her voice trembling.

The child's eyes darkened. "We were here before. We never left."

Aditya's hand rested gently on Maya's shoulder, his voice tight. "We need to find out who was here before us."

Maya nodded, but her gaze remained fixed on the girl. Something wasn't right.

She looked around the room, and on a nearby table, her eyes caught a strange object—a crumpled letter. She walked over and picked it up, her fingers trembling as she unfolded it. The paper was yellowed with age, the ink barely legible.

It read:

"The gate has opened. The dreamer will find the truth, but only in fragments. The clock is ticking. Time will end, and the last to see will vanish."

Maya's heart skipped a beat. The clock. The gate. The vanishing.

She glanced back at Aditya and Arjun, both of whom were staring at the children with a mix of awe and fear.

The vision was real.

The truth was beginning to unravel, but with it came the chilling realization that they were running out of time.